Stephen McDonnell

Police said he'd been unhappy with his divorce settlement. Days later, another car was being driven into children outside their primary school in Chengde, Hunan. After the vehicle stopped, locals smashed in its windows, then bashed the driver and held the man down until police could get there. And on and on the list goes.

Police said he'd been unhappy with his divorce settlement. Days later, another car was being driven into children outside their primary school in Chengde, Hunan. After the vehicle stopped, locals smashed in its windows, then bashed the driver and held the man down until police could get there. And on and on the list goes.

Lynette Ong is a professor of political science at the University of Toronto.

Lynette Ong is a professor of political science at the University of Toronto.

With tension increasing in Chinese society, the government has also been criticised for not providing enough counselling services for those in distress. People feel they can't turn to the courts because they're seen as inefficient and only loyal to the party. With state-controlled media, it mostly won't air people's stories if they make high-level officials look bad.

With tension increasing in Chinese society, the government has also been criticised for not providing enough counselling services for those in distress. People feel they can't turn to the courts because they're seen as inefficient and only loyal to the party. With state-controlled media, it mostly won't air people's stories if they make high-level officials look bad.

For now, the stress points seem likely to keep opening even wider. The only question is just how much pressure this might bring to bear on social order.

For now, the stress points seem likely to keep opening even wider. The only question is just how much pressure this might bring to bear on social order.

They can enforce their rules, that's fine by me, and my response is then I'm out.

They can enforce their rules, that's fine by me, and my response is then I'm out.